William rankin



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VILLIAM RANKIN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEME'NT !N TENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,011, dated December 24, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RANKIN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedanew and Improved Tent Designed for Army Use; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a partof this speci cation, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention adjusted for use, one-half the canvas being removed; Fig. 2,aplan ortop view of same; Fig. 3, a view of the frame of same in a folded state.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a tent which may be put up or adj usted for use with great facility, be perfectly strong andrigid when thus adj usted, and also afford great conveniences for berths, the same being elevated above the surface of the ground, the invention also admitting of being compactly folded for transportation.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, l will proceed to describe it.

A represents a center pole, the lower end of which is of taper form and shod with iron, as shown at a. This pole A has a metal collarb on it, from which arms c project radially and form sockets to receive the upper ends of bars B, which form the principal part of the frame of the tent and are secured in the sockets by pins ax. These bars B are each formed of two parts d e, connected by a hin ge f, and thelower ends of the parts e are made of taper form and shod with metal, as shown at g.

To each parte of the bars B there is attached by a hinge or joint h abrace c. These braces are a short distance above the surface of the ground, and the free ordisengaged end of each is provided witha metal plate t of taper or dovetailed form, and these plates when the tent is adjusted for use are fitted in correspondinglyshaped sockets j, attached to the parts e of bars B in line with but at the side opposite to that where the braces C are connected by the hinges or joints h, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

To each parte of the bars B there is attached a hook k. These hooks k are at the inner sides of the parts e between the hinges or joints h and the sockets j, and to the center pole A there are attached similar hooks Z, which are in a horizontal plane with the hooks k.

D represents sacking bottoms or mattresses, which are cut in V form, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the inner ends of the sacking bottoms or mattresses being secured on the hooks Z of the center pole, and the outer ends secured on the hooks le of the parts e of the bars B. A central strap m may alsobe attached to the outer edge of each sacking bottom or mattress, said straps fitting on the braces C.

Eis the covering of the tent. rlhis covering may be of any suitable canvas or any waterproof cloth. A hole is made at the center of the `can vas for the top of pole A to pass through, and

the canvas or covering is formed of pieces cut of proper form and sewed together so as to conform to the shape of the frame when set up for use. The lower part of the covering or canvas E is secured by strings u to the lower parts of the bars B. The canvas or covering is slitted vertically at one point to form a door and ventilating-openings maybe made in it at any proper points.

From the above description it will be seen that by having the bars B formed of two parts CZ e, connected by a joint f, said bars are made to form a roomy frame, the parts CZ being the rafters or roof and the parts @the sides of the frame, the lower parts e, as well as the lower end of the pole A, being forced a short distance into the ground. The braces C serve to stiften the bars B and retain them in proper place, and also serve to aid in supporting the sacking bottoms or mattresses D. These sacking bottoms or mattresses when not required for use may be rolled up and stowed away in a small compass, and one or more of them Inay when necessary be used as tables.

\ In transporting the tent from place to place the covering or canvasE and sacki ng bottoms or mattresses D are rolled up as compactly as possible and the bars B are folded close to the center pole A, the braces C being folded against the bars B. (See Fig. 3.)

The center pole A, bars B, and braces C may be constructed of any light strong wood. Spruce, forinstance, would answer a good purpose. All weight to which the braces C are subjected only serves to render the frame of the tent stiffer and irmer. Consequently when the sackingbottoms or mattresses' D are adjustedin proper position for use and occupied the tent is rendered very secure.

The tents may be made of anydesired size, so as to accommodate more or less men. From twenty to twenty-six Would probably be the number for a tent for army purposes.

Having thus described my invention, WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the lateral hinged adj ustable braces() with the divided hinged bars ln and pole A, as herein shown and described. 2. The combination of the sacking D with the hinged adjustable braces C, bars B, and pole A, substantially as herein shown and described.

XVM. RANKIN. Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, J. W. CooMBs. 

